Calling You
by momentary-ecstasy
Summary: The aftermath of the season finale. Cameron/Thirteen. Contains Spoilers for Season 4 Finale.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own House the show or the characters.

Spoilers for Season 4 Finale.

Cameron walked along the now somber halls of the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. She was looking for her reluctant friend of four months. At first, Cameron had written off Thirteen just as her replacement, but the younger doctor's refusal to sabotage another doctor make Cameron take a second look.

The first time they talked was when the cafeteria was full and they were forced to sit at the same table together. They hit it off right then. After that they went to see movies together, shows in New York, many dinners, and frequent visits to their favorite coffee shop.

In the pit of her stomach and the depths of her heart, Cameron knew she had fallen for Thirteen, but her head squashed all those feelings. She was straight last time she checked, but that probably needed to be reevaluated in light of the feelings. Plus she had Chase to think about. So, for now, she kept her feelings to herself and spent as much time as possible with Thirteen.

Cameron turned the corner past the diagnostic office and saw it was dark. She took out her phone to call Thirteen again, but figured that if she didn't answer the eight times she called in the last twenty minutes, she wasn't going to answer this time.

After Cuddy called Amber's time of death, the whole diagnostics team had dispersed. She checked on House a few minutes ago and saw Kutner and Taub leave. Thirteen's car was still in the hospital parking lot so she was still on the grounds.

The blonde paused in the hallway thinking of all the places Thirteen would go. She'd already checked the office and the doctor's lounge. She knew Thirteen was upset. Cameron just didn't know where she'd go when she was upset.

Then a light coming out of the lab caught her eye. She walked toward it, trying to see who was inside. It wasn't completely unheard of for a doctor or lab tech to use the lab at night, so I could be anyone. As she neared, her eyes fell onto the back of Thirteen. She was sitting on a stool with a printout in her hand. Cameron could see Thirteen shaking even from across the hall.

Cameron slid the door open and stepped inside. Just as she did Thirteen wadded up the paper and threw it into the trash. She whirled around only to freeze when she saw Cameron.

"How long have you been there?" Thirteen's voice was shaking as well as her entire body.

"I just walked in," Cameron tried to read Thirteen's face for what was wrong, but couldn't so she asked, "What's wrong?"

Thirteen shook her head and brushed past Cameron. After Thirteen was gone Cameron looked around. Her eyes traveled to the wadded up paper in the trash can. She quickly checked the hallway before looking back at the paper.

House slowly opened his eyes. He saw Thirteen standing right outside the door. She had her arms crossed and she was staring at him. When she saw he was awake she slid the door open before silently stepping in. She took a long deep breath then spoke, "I did the test."

"I was positive," House stated after analyzing Thirteen's demeanor.

Thirteen solemnly nodded.

House paused, "Go home and get some sleep. Take the morning off, but I need you back here by lunch."

"What?" Thirteen asked, "Why?"

"For work," House quipped, "Duh."

"I don't know if I…"

"Yes you do," House leaned his head back and closed his eyes, "You want to stay because you can do the most good here."

Thirteen carefully watched the older doctor before nodded, "Okay."

Cameron had spent a good five minutes staring at the results. Tears were already welling up in her eyes. Finally she shoved the paper into her pocket before taking off to find Thirteen.

She saw Thirteen just as she was walking out the front doors. She sprinted out of elevator and caught Thirteen just before she stepped off of the curb. Cameron whirled Thirteen around and kissed her.

When Cameron pulled away, Thirteen asked, "What was that?"

"I love you," Cameron confessed.

Thirteen studied Cameron's face before her eyes narrowed, "You read it? I can't believe you. I trusted you." Thirteen turned on her heal and started to walk off again.

"Wait," Cameron called after being stunned by Thirteen's words. She scampered off after Thirteen and caught her at the nearest isle of cars. She spun Thirteen around again.

Thirteen opened her mouth, but saw the tears in Cameron's eyes spill over onto her cheeks.

Cameron's voice was now barely a whisper, "I love you so much and I was scared to tell you. I've wasted so much time. I'm so in love with you." She took another chance and captured Thirteen's lips. This time Thirteen kissed back.

The kiss broke when Thirteen started sobbing. Cameron tried to wrap her arms around Thirteen, but she stepped out of Cameron's grasp.

Thirteen wrapped her arms around herself, "I just…I need some time. To sort everything out."

Cameron felt hurt, but understood why Thirteen was backing away. It was all a lot to process in less than an hour.

Cameron caught Thirteen's eyes, "You'll call me if you need me right?"

"Yeah," Thirteen nodded. She held Cameron's eyes for a few more seconds before turning around and walking away.

Cameron could do nothing, but watch Thirteen walk away as the dark clouds loomed low overhead and the harsh wind whipped through her hair.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a few hours since she last saw Thirteen drive away. Cameron sat in her office staring at the phone on her desk, but no matter how hard she stared at it, it wouldn't ring.

She finally stood from her chair, grabbed her keys and phone. She grabbed her coat on the way out the door. She had to at least drive by Thirteen's apartment to try to find something out.

It took a few minutes to get the Thirteen's apartment building, but when she did, Cameron parked across the street. She could see one of Thirteen's windows and the lights were off. Cameron got out and leaned on her car debating whether or not to go knock on the door.

As she was debating, she saw two feet dangling from the roof. She immediately recognized the shoes she had borrowed from Thirteen last week.

Cameron walked across the street and up the fire escape of the building. She'd been up there many times with Thirteen. The younger doctor liked to watch the stars and the city at night so they'd go up together and stargaze or watch the skyline lit up in the distance.

When she got to the top, she found Thirteen watching her feet dangle while she leaned on the railing. Her head was tilted downward and her hair hung in her face. A sharp wind blew and Cameron noticed Thirteen wasn't wearing a jacket.

She slid off her jacket, walked over to Thirteen, and placed the jacket on Thirteen's shoulders. She rested her hands on Thirteen's shoulders just letting her know she was there.

Thirteen slowly took Cameron's hands and slid them around her waist so that Cameron was holding her from behind. She threaded her fingers with Cameron's and leaned back into her.

"I'm sorry," Cameron whispered into Thirteen's ear, "I shouldn't have sprung all that on you."

Thirteen was silent for a long time before answering. "I understand why you did."

Cameron tightened her hold on Thirteen. "But I meant it."

"I know," Thirteen whispered.

They stayed like that for a few minutes. Just looking at the city over the top of the building across the street. Cameron was fighting so hard not to cry and Thirteen just stared numbly at the buildings in the distance.

After a few more minutes they were both shivering because the sun was going down.

"Let's go inside," whispered to Thirteen.

Thirteen nodded and slowly got up from her place on the ledge. Cameron took her hand, then led her down the fire escape and into the building.

Suddenly the whole building seemed darker. The lights seemed dimmer. The carpet seemed deeper. The hallways seemed smaller.

Thirteen opened her door and walked in. Cameron closed it behind them and locked it. Thirteen took the lead and walked over to the couch. Cameron seemed to know what Thirteen wanted her to do so she sat on the couch.

Thirteen sat next to her and laid her hand on Cameron's shoulder. Cameron moved them into a laying position and Thirteen turned toward her. Thirteen laid her head on Cameron's chest. Cameron wrapped her arms around Thirteen and held her close.

Thirteen curled into her and watched her fingers play with the soft fabric of Cameron's shirt.

Cameron ran her fingers through Thirteen's hair and rubbed her back, then her arm, then back again trying to comfort Thirteen in any way possible. She softly kissed the top of Thirteen's head.

"Tell me again," Thirteen choked out.

Cameron wondered what Thirteen meant. Then it clicked. She turn her head toward Thirteen and whispered into her hair, "I love you."

There was a long pause before Thirteen answered with, "I love you too."

Cameron gave Thirteen a gentle squeeze and continued stroking and soothing the younger doctor until she was asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

What little I know about medicine I read recently so don't assume anything I write about medicine is true. I research the best I can and there are sure to be some errors.

* * *

When Cameron woke up the next morning, she was alone. For a second she panicked. She looked around and looked in the bathroom and bedroom. Then she was the note on the coffee table that she picked up and read. 'Went to work. Told Cuddy you'd be a little late. You can wear some of my clothes. Love you. 13.'

Cameron smiled and sighed. She folded the note before going back to the bedroom to get dressed.

Thirteen sat alone in the diagnostic office. House was apparently still at home sleeping which given the circumstances was normal. Taub was getting coffee and Kutner went to the cafeteria to get breakfast.

The door opened and Thirteen looked up to find Cuddy. "I thought you were going to take the morning off."

Thirteen shrugged, "I didn't need it."

Cuddy nodded shifting the file in her hand, "Do you think you can handle a diagnostic class? Dr. Daniels had a family emergency."

"Sure," Thirteen nodded.

Cuddy walked over to the desk in the corner and scribbled down something on a sticky note. "Here's the room number and how long the class is."

"Anything specific I should cover?" Thirteen asked, standing.

"Um," Cuddy went through the file in her hand, "I doesn't say in here. Just…wing it."

Thirteen smiled slightly, "I think I can handle that."

"Thank you," Cuddy nodded and walked off.

Thirteen left a note on the whiteboard to the guys and went to the class. Luckily it was in the lecture hall they'd been in during the 'games' so it only took a few minutes to get there. She pushed open the door and forty med students stared at her.

She walked over to the desk, set her coffee down, and leaned back on it. "I'm Dr. Hadley. Everyone in this hospital calls me Thirteen." She stepped up to the chalk board and started writing symptoms.

After a few rounds of diagnosing, Thirteen wrote more symptoms on the board.

She turned back around and looked at the class. "Chorea, agitation, slurred speech, forgetfulness, tremors, seizures, and chronic fatigue. What does the patient have?"

"Alzheimer's," a guy from the back said.

"Anyone else?" Thirteen asked.

"Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease ," a woman on the side said.

"Huntington's," another man in the front stated.

Thirteen wrote the three diseases on the board. "Okay, so the outlook for the patient isn't good."

Cameron walked into the diagnostic office to find Taub and Kutner sitting at the table. "Where's Thirteen?"

Taub pointed at the board not looking away from the news paper he was reading.

Cameron looked over at it and read, "I'll be in the lecture hall - 13."

"She's teaching a class," Kutner told her.

"Oh," Cameron nodded, "Thanks." She walked out.

"Pick one," Thirteen sat on the desk, "Which one does the patient have?"

"There's no way to know without blood work," a woman in front stated.

"Good," Thirteen smiled, "What else could let you know?"

"Patient history," a man in the back added.

"Better," Thirteen stated, "The patient's mother died with she was nineteen. That's all you've been able to figure out since the patient is incoherent. And you only found that out by going through her wallet, finding a picture and looking up her mother's obituary. You also got that it was a long illness from the obit."

Cameron slipped in the back door without Thirteen seeing her. She sat in the desk in the back and stayed quiet.

"From that," the woman in front said, "It's probably Huntington's."

"Okay," Thirteen nodded, "What do you do after deciding that it's Huntington's?"

"Do the test to confirm," the woman answered.

"Who wants to tell the patient?" Thirteen asked. No hands were raised. "Someone has to tell the patient."

The man in the back raised his hand.

"Tell me I have Huntington's," Thirteen crossed her arms.

The took a deep breath and said, "We've done blood tests and confirmed that you have Huntington's Disease. It's a genetic disease that affects-"

Thirteen held up a hand. "She watched her mother die of Huntington's. She probably already knows how it affects the body and mind. So do you just go up to her and say, 'You have Huntington's'?"

"No," the woman said, "You tell her about the therapy and the medicines that help."

"We can make you comfortable?" Thirteen asked, "That's what she wants to hear? Does anyone know the suicide rate of Huntington's patients?"

"Seven percent," one of them said.

"But it's estimated that the suicides are underreported," someone else said, "The total estimate is twenty-seven percent."

Thirteen stood and put her hands in her pockets, "Okay. So we have someone in a category with twenty-seven percent chance of suicide and we tell her the best we can do is make you comfortable."

"You could tell her it's not that-" the man in the back went on.

Thirteen cut him off, "It's not that bad?"

He quieted down and sunk in his chair.

"You're dying. Slowly and painfully, but it's not that bad," Thirteen crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side.

"What are you supposed to say?" the woman on the side asked.

Thirteen paused then spoke, "Right now, she's standing on the roof of her apartment building with a bottle of prescription anti-anxiety medication and sleeping pills. A lethal mixture. The bottle's open and the pills are in her hand. What's going to stop her?"

"How'd she get on the roof?" the man asked.

Thirteen sighed frustrated, "She's in the hospital. She swiped a bottle of pills while the pharmacist wasn't looking. What's going to stop her from taking them?"

"You tell her that she still has time left," the woman in front said, "That there are people who love her and want to spend as much time with her as possible. Her family, friends, spouse."

Thirteen smiled, "Exactly. When you're diagnosed with a disease like Huntington's you can feel like you're all alone. No one can understand you. No one knows. But a loved one shows up and brings you back. They let you know that you're not alone. It make the whole ordeal seem bearable." Thirteen checked her watch, "That's time. Class dismissed."

The students walked out and a few stopped to thank Thirteen before leaving.

"Nice lecture," Cameron finally spot from her seat at the back of the hall.

Thirteen looked up and smiled, "How long have you been there?"

Cameron stood and sauntered down the stairs, "Ever since you diagnosed the patient with Huntington's."

Thirteen took a sip of her coffee and nodded.

"Have you ever thought about teaching?" Cameron asked nearing Thirteen, "You're a natural."

"I thought about it," Thirteen shrugged, "But I love my job."

Cameron took Thirteen's hands and swung them, "So do you wanna have lunch with me?"

Thirteen smiled, "Of course."

Cameron closed the gap between their lips and savored every second of the kiss. After a long, drawn out kiss, Cameron pulled away smiling. "I love you." Cameron felt great every time she said that to Thirteen.

Thirteen beamed, "I love you too."

Cameron's smile faded and she looked at the ground, "Where are the pills?"

Thirteen reached into her pocket and pulled out a prescription bottle. "Alprazolam and Benzodiazepines."

"That's why you were on the roof?" Cameron asked gently, looking into Thirteen's eyes.

Thirteen slowly nodded. "Then I saw you."

Cameron reached up and stroked Thirteen's cheek then pulled her into a long embrace. Cameron was at a total loss for words.

A beeping sound broke them apart. They both checked their pagers.

"I'm sorry," Thirteen told Cameron.

Cameron smiled and quickly kissed Thirteen, "It's okay."

"I'll see you at lunch?" Thirteen asked.

Cameron nodded.

Thirteen handed Cameron the prescription bottle, "Can you drop those by the pharmacy on you way back to the ER?"

"Of course," Cameron smiled and dropping the bottle into her pocket.

Thirteen gave her one last lingering look before slipping out the door. Cameron leaned back on the desk and wore a big, goofy smile. She loved the way she felt when she was around Thirteen or even thinking about her.

Cameron pushed off the desk and walked out the door to return the pills and go back to work.


End file.
